Aim-listed gold miner Hummingbird Resources will build a second ball mill at the Yanfolila gold mine, in Mali, that will increase plant throughput from 1.2-million tonnes to 1.4-million tonnes a year, based on a blend of ore types.
Based on 100% fresh ore types, the throughput capacity will increase from one-million tonnes to 1.2-million tonnes a year.
The second mill, being implemented at a cost of about $13-million, is scheduled to become operational in the third quarter of 2019.
Hummingbird CEO Dan Betts on Wednesday remarked that approving the second ball mill, in place of the tertiary crusher, will ensure greater flexibility and a 24% increase in fresh ore throughput.
He added that SENET has been appointed as the engineering, procurement, construction and management contractor for the second ball mill.
Meanwhile, the company also reported its first drilling results for the 2018 exploration programme, which should convert resources to reserves and define reserves previously not defined, extending the Yanfolila mine’s life.
Hummingbird chief geologist Murray Paterson said the company is targeting reserve growth by drilling out known inferred and/or derisking the indicated resources at the four deposits within the mining permit.
He noted the results from Komana West show that the previous drilling did not delineate and close off the mineralisation at this deposit.
Additionally, drilling at the Gonka deposit is progressing and the results will be published as soon as they are available.